About

Dalton has actively embraced an innovative and progressive tradition for approximately 100 years. Read an introduction from Head of School Jim Best; learn about Dalton's history and founder Helen Parkhurst's Education on the Dalton Plan; view Dalton's mission and values, including the School's intentional commitment to establish equity and diversity, and review Dalton's most recent Strategic Plan.

Programs

Dalton offers its 1,300 students a wide array of stimulating and challenging programs taught by passionate and dedicated faculty. Outstanding academic offerings are complemented by exemplary performing and fine arts curricula – taught by faculty who are professionals in their fields – and a full range of athletic teams and extracurricular activities.

Our Community

Dalton takes great pride in the strength of its engaged and collaborative community. Students, faculty & staff, parents, and alumni work together to advance mission, celebrate tradition and enhance school culture. Students, teachers, and alumni serve on the Board of Trustees, along with the Administrative Team.

Admissions

At Dalton, the primary focus is to nurture children's natural inquisitiveness, develop self-confidence in their intelligence and ability to succeed, and teach them to be responsible and independent learners and thinkers.

News & Calendar

Dalton regularly posts its good news, events and more for applicant families, alumni and other interested parties. Dalton regularly features news stories, photos, video and announcements about our students' achievements and other products of our progressive mission.

About the Dalton Science Research Program

The Dalton Science Research Program offers students the opportunity to pursue independent science research within the framework of a formal 4-year process. The research experiences vary widely, with some students pursuing laboratory work at the bench, some doing field-related study, and others taking more transdisciplinary approaches.

During the first year at Dalton, all students research an area of their choice in connection with Biology. The DSRP allows students to transition to independent research at an outside institution, usually in the summer between their sophomore and junior years. Previous DSRP scholars have worked at Rockefeller University, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Sloan Kettering, Yale University, and other world-class research centers in the NYC area. Their projects have focused on topics such as the intersection of 3-D printing and cardiology, stem cells and cancer research, the immunology of bone marrow transplants, robotic arms, computational biology, molecular biology, and indoor air quality monitoring.

In the coming years, in connection with the addition of two STEAM-focused floors, we hope to provide supervision and resources for more in-house research projects. For example, the planned teaching kitchen, design project studio, molecular biology lab, and greenhouse present exciting opportunities for student research projects that draw from across the Dalton curriculum.

In addition to pursuing carefully mentored research, DSRP scholars are expected to satisfy a series of other requirements, including a lab technique and paper analysis class and a class that focuses on transdisciplinary and collaborative projects. The latter course has involved partnerships with the New York City Audubon Society and the Parsons School of Design. DSRP scholars are also encouraged to choose from an array of research-related electives in their senior year—such as Biotechnology, Drugs and Disease in the Modern World, Statistics, Bioethics, Computer Science, Smart Team, and Robotics.

As a culmination of their individualized DSRP experience, students are expected to publish some aspect of their research in Techfluence, the Dalton science and technology journal. They are also required to give a formal presentation of their work at the annual Dalton Science Research Symposium. We encourage students to submit their research to outside competitions, such as the Regeneron Science Talent Search and the Intel ISEF, and for external publication, but this is not a requirement of the program.

In short, the DSRP is designed to coordinate and promote the abundant resources for independent research offered by Dalton and the New York City community.